


Thanksgiving Dinner with the Goodkins

by alwaysgocrazy



Category: Stitchers (TV)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fluff, Holiday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-04 00:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5313104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysgocrazy/pseuds/alwaysgocrazy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cameron invites Kirsten over to dinner for Thanksgiving with his family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thanksgiving Dinner with the Goodkins

**Author's Note:**

> I KNOW THIS IS LATE I'M SORRY! I kept needing to add more and it took longer than expected. I hope you like it!

Thanksgiving, 2015. The first Thanksgiving the group would spend together. They planned for it to be the day before Thanksgiving because Linus and Cameron both had families planning dinner for the day of.

Kirsten and Camille decided to host it. They had the most space and two pitching in money for one turkey and a couple of sides was better than baking and cooking other things to bring. They assigned the boy items to bring: Cameron was required to bring bread rolls, a pie, and a green bean casserole; Linus was asked to bring other veggies, some cookies, and utensils to cut the turkey. The girls would be providing the turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows baked on top (a bizarre dish Camille insisted on having).

Cameron and Linus arrived around 1:30. “We have the goods!” Linus said once Camille opened the door.

“Great, glad you pulled through,” she replied in a slightly sarcastic tone. She took the pie from Cameron along with the bag of canned vegetables from Linus. She directed them around as to where to put things.

Meanwhile, Kirsten was in the kitchen bent over at the oven, basting the turkey. While Camille and Linus argued pettily in the dining room over the utensils he brought (apparently they were dull or broken), Cameron went into the kitchen to see what he could help with. “Got it, Stretch?” he asked as he walked towards her.

She looked up, a few fly away hairs in her face. “Yeah,” she sighed. “Yeah, I think I got it all.” She didn’t know how long she had been dripping the juices over the turkey for, but assumed it was long enough. She stuck the thermometer in to check the readiness of the bird. “Damn. Still at one thirty.” She removed it and placed it on the counter. Closing the oven, she turned towards Cameron. “Hi.” She pushed her hair out of her face and dusted her hands off on her apron.

“Hi,” he smiled. “Smells good.” He adored the flustered Kirsten standing in front of him.

She inhaled deeply. “I’ll probably end up drying it out somehow.” She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “What’re you up to?”

“Just came in to see if you need any help,” he said.

Kirsten looked around. “Wanna open up a can of cranberry sauce and slice it up in the little dish it’s sitting in?” she asked.

Cameron nodded. “Sure.” He grabbed the can opener that was sitting next to a can of corn. “Is this your first ‘Friends-giving’?” he asked as he twisted the knob.

She nodded, still standing against the oven. “Yeah. First Thanksgiving in years, if I’m being honest.”

He whipped his head around. “Are you being serious right now?” She shrugged, almost saying “Why wouldn’t I be?” He shook his head with a grin. “Then you’re coming to my house tomorrow for a _real_ Thanksgiving meal.”

“Are you implying this isn’t good enough?” she challenged, brows furrowed.

“No! No, this _is_ a real Thanksgiving dinner and it’s going to be wonderful, but it’s ‘Friends-giving.’ It’s totally different than spending it with a family.”

“We’re a family,” she said casually.

Cameron’s cheeks reddened. “W-we are. Yeah, I-I guess we are.” He nodded, dumping the sauce onto the plate. He grabbed a knife and began to slice small slivers. “Sorry. Y-you don’t have to go. That was dumb.”

She walked over to him and rested her elbow on the counter with her head in her hand. “I’ll go, if you want me to go.”

He looked up at her. “Really?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, why not? As long as I get first dibs on dessert,” she said with a smirk, dipping her finger in the Cool Whip tub sitting next to her and placing a bit on Cameron’s nose.

His face became as red as the cranberry sauce as she walked away. He wiped it off, chuckling softly as he continued to work.

***

Linus invited Camille to his family’s Thanksgiving dinner as well. If you asked her, she would say she was forced to go because Linus’ parents still believed she was his girlfriend. But if she was honest, you would know it was because she loved the family dynamic they had and how welcoming and loving his parents were. Plus, she was not one to turn down free food.

She climbed into bed with Kirsten the night after their Friends-giving dinner, peering up at her.

“Can I help you?” asked Kirsten, still staring intently at her laptop.

“What does it mean if a guy wants you to meet his parents and have you pretend to be his girlfriend but you two are somewhat of an item but not really?” she asked, cuddling with a pillow.

Kirsten closed her laptop and looked at her. “Maybe he wants to be more.” She shrugged as she placed her laptop on the ground. “Are you going to dinner with Linus tomorrow?”

Camille nodded. “I met his parents as his girlfriend before. Now I’m going over there again as his ‘girlfriend,’ but we’re not really dating.”

“Yeah, I know. There is minimal talking in your relationship,” stated Kirsten simply as she sunk into the bed.

Camille pushed her. “Hey, that’s a low ball and you know it. At least we’re comfortable enough to _do_ something.”

“I’m just stating the facts, Camille.”

“And so am I.”

Kirsten squinted her eyes. “That…that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Oh, come on!” Camille said dramatically. “You and Cameron flirt non-stop and yet neither of you have the balls to admit you like the other.”

“Okay, and did you consider the fact that Cameron and I _are_ just friends and are comfortable enough to have a conversation?”

Camille scoffed. “Kirsten, you know that’s bullshit just as much as I do. Those little nicknames? All those late nights at his apartment? You two in your own little world when you’re stitching? You guys are not ‘just friend.’”

Kirsten rolled her eyes. “So me, going to have dinner with his family tomorrow, isn’t something ‘just friends’ do?” She asked it in a sarcastic, dry tone but genuinely didn’t know.

“Uh, _no!_ ” Camille responded with a dropped jaw. “No! That’s not what ‘just friends’ do! Kirsten, that is, like, next level dating!”

“You just said you’re doing the same thing with Linus but you two aren’t dating.”

“We’re not! We’re having sex! That’s it! We’re not on a ‘just friends’ basis, Kirsten.”

She sighed heavily. “Whatever. I’ll just see what happens tomorrow. What should I look out for?” she asked. Might as well get the free advice.

“Closeness—”

“We’re going to be close because I don’t know anyone in his family.”

“Touches—”

“What, like what he does when I get nervous? That’s something everyone does.”

Camille rolled her eyes back as she closed them. She inhaled deeply. “Oh, Kirsten, honey…” She let out a short laugh. Opening her eyes, she said, “You just have fun tomorrow.”

Kirsten rolled her eyes. She rolled over to turn out the light. “What do I wear?” she asked as she got comfy.

“Something casual but not too casual. A small step up from casual. I’ll get you dressed tomorrow.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Good night, Camille.”

***

Camille did dress Kirsten the next day. She put her in a nice, flowy blouse with some lace on the shoulders, a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, and a pair of her dressy ankle boots.

“You look so cute. Cameron’s going to have a hard time keeping his eyes off of you,” said Camille with a smile.

Kirsten inhaled deeply. She just had to take it. “Okay.”

There was a knock on the door. Camille ran over. Linus was there dressed in a casual suit. “What is this?” she asked.

“Thanksgiving is fancy!” he defended.

“So I’ve gotta go change?” she asked, gesturing to her top and jeans. Linus shrugged. She groaned. “It would’ve been nice to know that ahead of time!” She spun around to go back to her room.

Cameron came up behind Linus. He looked slightly confused. “What did I just miss?” he asked.

“Another dramatic Camille episode,” explained Kirsten.

“I was not dramatic!” yelled Camille from across the house.

Kirsten rolled her eyes. “You ready?” she asked Cameron. He nodded so she stepped out, grabbing her purse off the coat rack. “Have fun, Linus,” she said as she closed the door behind her.

“You look nice,” complimented Cameron.

“Thanks. You don’t look half bad yourself.” It was his pretty typical attire: a flannel shirt with jeans. Guys had it easy.

They walked to his car that was parked right behind Linus’. Once in, Cameron said, “So, my family can be…judgmental. Don’t take too many things they say personally, especially from my grandpa. He’s up there in age and tends to forget it’s not the sixties.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. I handle your insults just fine,” she smirked as she slid into the passenger seat.

“Hey, they’re not insults! They’re ‘terms of endearment,’” he defended.

Kirsten rolled her eyes. “Call them whatever you want; they’re basically insults.” She couldn’t help but smile. She loved the little things Cameron called her and the playful banter they always had.

“Alright, Tinkerbell, whatever you say.” He smirked. He started up the car and pulled away.

***

Cameron’s parents’ house was close to an hour away. They arrived around half past twelve to help with preparing things. Also, Cameron wanted to introduce Kirsten to his parents and siblings without the chaotic mess of extended family.

He parked on the side of the road next to the mailbox. The two got out and walked up to the door. “They’re probably going to attack us, so just…be prepared,” he warned.

“Cameron. I can handle it,” she assured.

He shrugged and rang the doorbell. His mother was the one to answer. “Cameron!” she said happily, pulling her son into a tight hug. “Oh, it’s been so long!”

“Hey, Mom,” Cameron said a tad bit awkwardly. He hugged back but let her go first. “Mom, this is Kirsten,” he said with a gesture towards her.

“Oh, you brought a girl,” she smiled. “Bring it in, I’m a hugger.”

“Mom!” Cameron groaned.

Kirsten hugged her awkwardly. Cameron’s mother might be a hugger, but she most certainly was not. “I-it’s nice to meet you,” she said politely as she pulled away.

“Fantastic! You’ve met now. Can we come in?” asked Cameron, clearly annoyed.

His mother rolled her eyes. “He’s always like this when he brings friends over. Always embarrassed of his mother.” She smiled and opened the door wider. “You can call me Anne, by the way,” she told Kirsten.

Cameron balled his hands in fists, trying to resist going off on his mother about being twenty-seven and not seventeen. He took a deep breath as they walked in. “Where’s Dad?” he asked.

“Upstairs watching football with your brother,” said Anne. “Go say hello then come back to help me prepare the vegetables and stuffing.”

After an introduction to his father, Chris, his brother, Chris (the second), and his sister, Kristina, the duo went to work in the kitchen. Other family members began to arrive and take over their jobs.

Cameron snuck Kirsten away into a small foyer that was rarely used. He collapsed on the couch. “I am so, _so_ sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you with me. I should’ve known this was going to happen. I should’ve known they were going to question me, question you, poke fun at us—”

“It’s fine, Cameron,” assured Kirsten as she sat down next to him. “That’s what families do.”

“Yeah, but mine is just over the top obnoxious.”

“ _No_ , they’re being a typical family as far as I know. I mean…I haven’t had a Thanksgiving family meal in a long time, but this seems to be the thing that happens in movies.”

He rubbed his face. “Yeah. I don’t why I expected it to be different…”

Kirsten scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “It seems like you wanted someone else to be the focus point,” she said. “I’ve noticed how you’ve been hiding in the background, minding your own business. I think, whether you know it or not, you didn’t want to be the center of attention.”

“What makes you think I’m the center of attention?” he asked, adjusting his arm to rest on her shoulders and rest his head against hers.

“Well, you’re the youngest, the most accomplished, yet you visit the least, aren’t married, and everyone still hyper-focuses on your health. Everybody has asked me how we met, if we’re together, if you’re staying healthy, if work has been causing you too much stress, all of that. Your brother and sister are upstairs chilling out with your father with nobody questioning their presence or life. It’s all about you.”

He sighed softly, taking it all in. Maybe she was right; maybe he did want her there as a barrier. Everything she said was true. Then a sudden flash of anxiety hit him. “What did you say when they asked you if we were together?”

“That we were coworkers and really close friends. I said that I had nowhere else to go for Thanksgiving and you invited me. That’s not far from the truth, right?”

He shook his head. “No, not at all.” His fingers moved gently up and down her arm. She fit so perfectly there. It just felt right.

A few minutes later, their bliss was interrupted by Kristina coming in and saying dinner was ready. The two got up and went into the large dining room. More people were in there than when they first left the scene. At a very slow rate, everyone took their seats. There were two tables plus a kids’ table. The grandparents were at the head of the table, the parents, aunts, and uncles were at one table, and the cousins, siblings, in-laws, and friends were at the other. Kirsten and Cameron got placed closer to the older generation so that the others could tend to their children easier.

Plates, forks, knives, spoons, bowls, glasses, everything clinked together as things got passed around. As everyone settled, the questions about life began to come up. Anne looked over to Cameron. “Have you been working out, honey?” she asked him.

“Do we have to talk about this now? At the dinner table?” he asked, clearly annoyed. Kirsten rested her hand on his knee and rubbed it gently.

“I just want to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, that’s all.”

“Oh, Anne, just leave him alone. He’s a grown man. He knows what’s good for him and what’s not,” said his father. “Look at him. He’s got a girlfriend, a good job, and is happier than ever. Don’t ruin it.”

“Oh, we’re not—” Cameron started with red cheeks.

“Cameron! You told your father but not me? You both said you were coworkers!” said his mother dramatically.

“Mom, we are. We’re not to—”

Everyone else in the room listened in. Kirsten took notice. She glanced around and saw everyone staring. She decided to speak up. “We didn’t tell you because I’ve never met you all and now we’re engaged. We knew you would be upset,” she said, the only thing coming to mind.

“What?” was the word spoken by everyone softly, even Cameron. Kirsten gave him a look, trying to say it was okay.

“Where’s the ring?” asked Anne.

“Son, did you ask her father?” asked Chris.

“Oh, Cameron!” his grandmother said happily with a smile. “Robert, isn’t that sweet? Remember when we did that?” she said as she turned to her husband.

Cameron rubbed his face. Kirsten felt so bad. That was the completely wrong thing to say. She thought it might help, but apparently only caused uproar among everyone. She reached up and grabbed Cameron’s hand. “Relax,” she whispered softly.

He looked over at her. He smiled weakly. He turned back to his family. “Look…Kirsten’s right. I should’ve introduced her to you guys a long time ago, but work has been crazy, her foster father passed away a few months ago, and our schedules have been contradicting for the longest time. So, she’s here now.” He looked over at Kirsten with the kindest of eyes. “We won’t be getting married for a while, but it’ll happen.” He nodded, feeling his heart break with the words because he knew his lie would never be true. “We’ll get married, invite all of you, have Lindsey be the flower girl”—a little girl at the kids’ table gasped happily and got out of her seat—“Kristina can be a bridesmaid, Chris can be a groomsman, and everything will be perfect.”

The little girl came between Kirsten and Cameron. “You gotta kiss her, Uncle Cameron!” she said happily.

The two looked down at her, breaking eye contact for the first time. Both of them smiled. “No, you don’t wanna see us k—”

“Oh, come on, Cam. She’s seen me kiss Jen countless times,” said Chris.

Cameron looked up at his brother then to Kirsten. “Give the audience what they want,” said Kirsten softly with a smile. Cameron cupped her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss. Sighs and ‘aww’s were heard from the entire family. However, neither of them heard. They were in their own world. They were equally surprised at how genuine the other was. Camille was right; Cameron did love her, or at least really like her. She squeezed his hand gently as they pulled apart.

“Happy?” asked Cameron softly, eyes still closed and forehead against Kirsten’s.

“Very…” whispered Kirsten back, not realizing initially it was for the family.

“Yay!” squealed Lindsey, drawing their attention away from each other. Their faces were as dark as the cranberry sauce.

From that point on, they weren’t bothered. There was no more questioning, no more pressure. The two were able to enjoy Thanksgiving just as much as everyone else.

***

Close to ten o’clock, they were finally able to leave. They said their goodbyes to everyone before walking out to Cameron’s car. It was silent. Cameron pulled away and drove around the corner before stopping the car.

“What are you doing?” asked Kirsten.

“What the hell just happened there?” he asked as he stared in her eyes.

She was taken back. Was he angry? Was he upset that now they had to pretend they were a couple for his family? She couldn’t tell. “We…had dinner with your family,” she said simply.

“No. No, that’s not what I’m talking about.” He shook his head and looked down, a slight smile creepy onto his face.  “The kiss…the…‘engagement.’ What just happened?”

Kirsten bit her bottom lip hard. “I just…wanted them to shut up. They don’t have to be so nosey.” The one time she let her guard down and this is what happened. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know that’s what would happen.”

“You kissed me like you meant it…” he muttered.

She swallowed. “I-is that now how I should’ve kissed you? I’m sorry, Cameron. I didn’t mean for all this to happen. I’ll fix it, I promise.”

He looked up to her. “Did you mean to kiss me the way you did?”

She shrugged. She didn’t know how to answer that. She couldn’t tell if he was upset with her or not; she couldn’t tell if he wanted her to say that she did mean to kiss him like that or not. But then again, the way he kissed her was something different as well. He kissed her like he meant it, like it was something he had dreamt about before.

“Kirsten,” he said, dragging her out of her thoughts.

“Yes.”

“Did you mean to—”

“Yes. I just said yes. Now, did you mean to kiss _me_ the way you did?” she asked.

He smiled. “Yes.” She sighed heavily in relief. “And I really, really want to do it again. Without an audience.”

She nodded. “Do it then. Don’t just say you want to kiss me and then don’t. Kiss me like you—”

And then he did. He shut her up right then and there, kissing her deeply. It was their first kiss without a group of people watching. It took a second for Kirsten to kiss back. She reached over and ran her fingers through his hair.

They eventually pulled apart. “Wanna know what I’m thankful for?” asked Cameron softly.

“Hmm…?” hummed Kirsten with a smile.

“You.”

“You’re so cliché…” she teased, pecking his lips again. “I’m thankful for you too.”

They moved away from each other and relaxed into their seats. “I’m glad I’ve got you, Stretch,” he said as he put the car in drive.

“Me too.” She reached over and intertwined their hands. “Me too…”


End file.
